Welcome
to
"BEFORE CINDYBEADS"!

Well, where to start! I guess I'll begin with the
first Gathering of Glass Bead Artists in Prescott, Arizona and work backwards. This
amazing group of people came together, many for the first time, in mid-1993. At the
time I had just been making beads for a month or so, and the work of these artists truly
jump-started my humble, already-frantic creativity!

CLICK IMAGES (with
orange frames) TO ENLARGE!

Here's Tom Holland at the torch with Kristina
Logan looking on...

Brian Kirkvliet is making a bead
while Kate Drew-Wilkinson watches

This image shows Kevin O'Grady making a glass
bracelet--more fire!!!

Making glass beads, and making jewelry with beads prior to that, was at
first a stress relieving hobby for me. I tried my hand at silversmithing in the late
'80's but the polishing just did me in! Beads were discovered while on
vacation when I wandered into the Bead Museum in Prescott. The adjoining bead shop
had this great quantity purchasing discount, so even though I had no idea what I'd DO with
them, I got LOTS......(sound familiar???).
My "real job" was supervising the animal control unit for the Arvada, CO
Police Department. I worked there from 1973 to 1996, and about half of my time was
spent in a truck answering complaints people had about animals. Usually, however, it
was not the animals, but their owners that were the root of the problem, hence the STRESS!

Glamorous, eh?
This is moi checking the tag number of a wayward and lost weimaraner.
Circa 1975

This was taken
around 1993. Still picking up stray dogs and listening to people whine, but I
have better wheels!

So, my love of
animals
and my careerin animal welfare
led to the
PAWPRINTS ON MY BEADS

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU,
to all my family and friends,
who have supported me in leaving this secure career
to do what I love!

My Great
Husband, Edd

He calls himself "the supportive spouse", and he certainly is! Besides
helping with shows and offering excellent business advice, he also keeps my accounts
and my computer in
order! All this in addition to an accounting/income tax business!
What a Guy!

MY FIRST FAMILY!
Edy, Lisa, Marque and Wayne Lesuer

Gathered for my marriage to Edd in May, 1992

Me, Happily Melting

in thinner, younger
years....sigh

Before I started my career with the City of Arvada, I worked at the
Denver Dumb Friend's League, a Denver-area non-profit animal shelter. In the early
'70's, right after some college , I also worked in two different veterinary
hospitals. From childhood I wanted to be a veterinarian, but ended up in animal
welfare instead.
Jewelry was always very important to me as well. I always thought people would be
better off bald and naked with lots of cool jewelry! Fine jewelry, though--beads
were for people who couldn't afford the real stuff, (or for grandmothers..).
Thank goodness my taste in that area, as well as in many others, has expanded and
matured!!!

1951
"Kitten Restraint-101"
During a visit with my Aunt Imo in Nebraska

Here are a couple of images
of my EARLY Animal Control Career...

1953
I still have a LOT to learn....

Here are some other things I love!

Otters....
all shapes
and sizes

Hanging Lake
near Glenwood Springs, Colorado

My Miata

Our Grandchildren!Click the images to see More Pix of Brandon, Emma,
Elias & "the Fam"!